Four Cardinal Errors: Courage

In this salon, the first in a potential series (depending on demand), Eyal Shay will lead a discussion on the concept of Courage in Ancient Greece, why it can’t be a virtue at all, and what can take its place (and does, according to Plato and logic).

Ask an Athenian born in the 5th cen. BCE what the four cardinal virtues are and he’d tell you: δικαιοσύνη (Justice), σωφροσύνη (Temperance), σοφία (Wisdom), and ἀνδρεία (Courage). Ostensibly, these are traits one possesses, and that’s how they were perceived then. But analyze Plato’s dialogues correctly and the truth will be revealed: None of these concepts work.

Required Reading:

•  Plato’s Laches – A dialogue ostensibly about Courage that contains its replacement as well

Recommended Listening:

• Deep Dive: Dialectic (w/ Ivor Ludlam)
• The Problem with Plato – A Twitter Spaces conversation between me and Bryan Kam about Plato’s work
• The Plato Paradigm – A walkthrough guide to one of Plato’s shortest dialogues

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